Cross Stitch Project: Nerdcraft, Take 1

So, it's been a while since I've had a cross stitch project on the go, and my stress levels are showing that (... is what I choose to believe).  I've been now stressing out even further over what I wanted to do next.  More flowers?  I don't know.  Or at least I didn't know.  I've decided to take the plunge in a number of ways:

1. I'm going off-kit: for the first time, I'm buying all the thread and aida separately to make something
2. I'm going off-pattern: or at least, off other people's patterns.  I've made my own!
3. I'm going full Nerd: That's right, it's a retro video game pattern.  

After extensive reading of Sprite Stitch and its forums, including mostly everything I could get my hands on vis à vis making your own patterns, I downloaded KG Stitch, got me some sprites, and voila, mere minutes later, had a complete pattern on my hands.  I'm so. effing. excited. to get started.  A few people in real life know what it's going to be, but I'm going to keep it on the DL while I'm making it.  You can watch it progress, of course, with pics here.  If it turns out, I might even take the plunge, make a Sprite Stitch forum profile and post the pattern.  I will say that it is based on my fave NES game, and I haven't seen a pattern out there for this yet (though I'm quite sure that that doesn't mean it hasn't been done before).  And I have no idea what I'm going to do with this particular work when I'm done, but who cares!?